The Awry Gershwa
by Elliot Pole
Summary: Lizzie dresses as Luna for Halloween, but a guy dressed as Snape hits her on the head with an iron. Justin Finch-Fletchley finds her ten years before that Halloween night, and a wizard snatches her up and Disapparates.


**The Awry Germasch**

**Chapter One**

"I'm dressing as Harry Potter for Halloween," Larry said. "You can be Hermione, Lizzie. And Miranda, you can be Ginny."

"Isn't Ginny Harry's love interest? Um, no way, Tudgman."

"Yeah, Tudgman. Why didn't you ask Lizzie to be Ginny rather than Hermione?" Gordo said.

"I am part of the More-Than-A-Sister Brigade on . Which is a dot com affiliate, but prefers to be called 'dot org.' Don't know why, but it sounds better, anyway."

"And what does this More-Than-A-Sister Brigade do?" Miranda asked. She wasn't really interested, but she liked to pretend she was. She hated Tudgman more than the other two, and Lizzie didn't seem capable of hating anybody, except maybe Kate Sanders. Though even they had their moments.

"Glad you asked, Ginny. The More-Than-A-Sister Brigade believes that Harry's comment about Hermione being like a sister to him was just a statement to make Ron feel better. He didn't really mean it."

Salem Saberhagen was walking along the street. He heard voices nearby but paid no attention to them.

"The thing I love about time balls," Salem said, "Is that they have a terrific flavor."

Four people who looked to be freshmen in high chool nearly tripped over him.

"Oh, look at the cute little kitty," Miranda said, lifting him. She searched for a collar. "Guess you're a stray."

"Yes, I'm astray," Salem said, in a tone lone enough that no one heard. "But I'm not a stray."

"See? We're talking about Harry Potter, and we run into a black cat," Tudgman said.

"Do you guys ever get the feeling that years have passed ina n instant?" Gordo asked.

"Why do you say that?" asked Lizzie.

"I'm not sure. I got the oddest feeling that I just jumped about five-years ahead in time."

"That's really silly, Gordo. You're still a freshman in high school, just like you were yesterday."

"I know, Lizzie. Look, I'd better run."

"But Gordo…"

"Let him go," Miranda said. "We still have to choose our costumbes."

"Lizzie's Hermione, you're Ginny. Haven't we already established that?"

"Later, Ttudgman," Miranda said, holding her hand up to his face. She led Lizzie away.

"Does that mean you'll call me later? I'll be waiting by the phone!"

Tudgman looked at the black cat that had jumped out oMiranda's arms. "You're one lucky, feline, getting held by her," he said, scratching Salem's ears.

"I know, mrow," Salem said.

"Did you just speak?"

"Mrow, morrow, morrow."

The cat hissed and stalked off.

In the costumbe store, Miranda found a pink wing. "Looks like Nymphardora Tonks' from the movie," she said.

"Wear it," Lizzie said. "I'll be Ginny."

"Tudgman wanted me to be Ginny."

"Fine, I'll be Luna."

"I'm not going to be Ginny, so it's okay if you want to be her."

"Luna's more my type. I'm not into sports. Gymastics was as close as I'm getting. And you know how that went."

They boughts wigs together with wands and witch's robes. Then they took it all to Lizzie's house to get ready.

Lizzie was almost stuck taking Matt trick-or-treating when his "girlfrind's" cousin came and took them off Lizzie's hands. It wasa relief to find this out, for walking it witc's robes and watching her brother were not two things she could handle at once.

Soon it was time to go trick-or-treating. Lizzie and Miranda waited until twenty minutes after Matt had gone before going out themselves.

Someone wearing a costume to look like Severus Snape walked by. He was standing on stilts. Lizzie shrugged. She and Mirands approached the nearest hourse, where they were given tootsie roll sandwiches by a man with a beard. They were in wrappers designed as if they came from a restaurant. Miranda wanted to try hers, but Lizzie insisted they continue trick-or-treating.

They got a good haul that night. They were just about to turn the corner to go to the next street when the guy dressed as Severus Snape came by again. This time, he hit Lizzie on the head with his iron. She tumbled to the ground. Miranda bent over her. "Lizzie? Lizzie, can you hear me?"

Then Lizzie blacked out.

Justin-Finch Fletchley was walking along the road, after asking his mother if he could get some fresh air. The hotel was a bit hot. She let him go. "This may be your only chance to see America," she said. "Though you are a wizard and can probably just poof here any time you want."

"Apparition lessons don't take place for another three years, ma."

"You'll do well at them, my boy. You always do."

He had gone then.

Now he came across a curious sight. Where a moment before there had been nothing on the ground, a blond girl had appeared out of nowhere! She looked to be fourteen, about a year older than Justin. Girls didn't usually date guys younger than them. He could just walk by as if nothing had happened.

Then again, girls didn't usually pop out of nowhere. This girl was extraordinary. Even if she had Apparated, he wondered how she could have gone to sleep so quickly. Was there such a thing as Apparating in one's sleep? Not that Justin was aware of. But he was Muggle-born. There were bound to be diseases and such that were exclusive to witches and wizards. Maybe this was one of them.

A car came roaring. Justin jumped instinctively out of the way. But the driver didn't seem to see the girl. Justin leaped in front of the car and got slammed into by its hood.

"Are you crazy? Want to get yourself killed, kid?"

The driver had his head sticking out. Justin pointed at the blond girl's limp body. Then the driver calmed down.

"You ought to tell your sister it's dangerous to sleep in the road. Good riddance, she's a teenager! She ought to know better."

"Hold on. She's not my…"

The driver wasn't listening. He was carrying the blond girl to a lawn, where he laid her down in the grass.

Justin followed, his knees feeling like they were going to topple out from under him.

"I'd best be going. I suppose this isn't your lawn?"

"It's not mine," Justin said.

"Well, wake her and go home. Get her to her bedroom. I know Halloween was yesterday, but really, that's no excuse to sleep in the road."

The driver turned and went to his car. Halloween? It wasn't a holiday Justin's mother encouraged. They had feasts for it at Hogwarts. Justin was supposed to be there right now, but his mother felt it would be unsafe, what with Sirius Black loose and all. Justin tried to explain to her that Hogwarts was the safest place to be, but she wouldn't listen.

"I've been saving up for a trip to America, and as it is unlikely Sirius Black is there, we will go and see what it's like. Just for a few days. I don't want to cramp your schooling."

Justin hadn't been thrilled to come. But here was this cute blond girl, wearing witch's robes. Was she supposed to be at Hogwarts too? Or was she an American witch? Well, his mother had wanted him to make friends with the locals, if he found any his own age. He hadn't known how to identify a witch or wizard before, but here was one who clearly was a witch. Though wearing her school uniform o0ut in the open was a bit risky. Didn't she know that?

"Wake up," Justin said, shaking her.

She opened her eyes and yawned. "How long was I out, Miranda?"

"My name's not Miranda. It's Justin."

She gaped at him open-mouthed. "Oh, gosh! Was I knocked out ll night?"

"It appears so."

"I've got to find Miranda!"

"I'll help you look for her. What does he look like?"

"She's Hispanic, dark hair, was dressed like Nymphadora Tonks last night."

They went in search of her, when Justin finally got the courage to ask her her name.

"Nicole," she said.

"I'm Justin, as I said before."

"Pleasure to meet you, Justin. Oh wait, I know where Miranda is," Lizzie said, slapping her forehead.

"Where?"

"At school, of course."

"Oh. Do you have your broomstick?"

"No. What would I need a broomstick for?"

"Well, I don't know how far your school is, but I would think a broomstick would be helpful for getting you there faster."

"You're nuts," the girl (Nicole?) said.

"I guess you Americans have different customs than us Europeans."

"Oh, you're not native here?"

"I'm vising," Justin said.

"Vacations are always good. But let's walk to my school. It's not too far from here."

Justin trotted along beside her, so happy to be in the presence of a girl this sweet. They turned a few bloks, before the blond girl came to a dead stop.

"My school!" she exclaimed, a look of consertnaiton on her face.

"What's wrong?"

"It doesn't look right. The flagpole's been moved, that fence is supposed to have a high-voltage sign, and the building is blue, not gray!"

"Maybe it's a Halloween prank?"

"Oh yes, Halloween. Hopefully that's it." She looked doubtful.

They approached the front door and went inside. Justin knew immediately that this wasn't a school for witches. There was no magic in it. The girl was probably confused about her identity. The way she had said her name made him think it was an alias.

"Name?" asked the woman behind the desk.

"Lizzie McGuire."

This might be an alias too, Justin thought.

"Don't you know the penalty for being late?"

The blond girl shook her head.

"One moment." The woman checked a roster with an eye like an eagle's. "There is no Lizzie McGuire enrolled here. You must have the wrong high school. It's an easy mistake for teenagers to make."

"This is my school!" the blond girl shouted, hysterically.

Justin was right. She was confused about her idenftity, changing her name every time she was asked it. No wonder she wasn't on the school roster.

The woman behind the desk turned to him.

"Kid, you better take your sister safe where she can control herself. It is unseemly to act this way in public."

Justin, used to people calling the blond girl his sister, dragged her away. She didn't seem to be aware that she was being pulled along, or that her location had shifted at all until they were a block along.

"What's wrong? Did I wake up in some strange new world?"

"Let's go see my mother. She'll no what to do."

They started forth when a dark hooded figure grabbed the blond girl. Ignoring her screams, he raised his wand, muttered, "_Obliviate_!" in Justin's direction, then cursed as nothing emerged from his wand.

"You never saw this," the wizard said, before Disapparating.

"Bring her back, you fiend!" Justin shouted. But there was no answer to his shout, save for that of a chattering squirrel in a nearby tree.

Justin waited an hour or so, hoping something would happen. A policeofficer noticed him and started making his way forward. Justin decided to run. He didn't know what police would do to a thirteen-year-old boy in America, even if he hadn't done any crime. Though e was probably linked with the disappearance of the blond girl…that was a crime, wasn't it?

He ran all the way back to the hotel, getting lost a couple of times. When he finally reached the safety of the room, his mother was gone, with a note saying she'd be back later. He let the perspiration dry on his face before having a Satsuma. He certainly wouldn't be glad to see America ever again, if this was how it was. Girls appearing out of nowhere who wtches or had forgotten they were and somehow thought they were Muggles, and didn't know their own names and who blanked out, and then as soon as he got attached to them, were snatched from him by some kidnapper..or teennapper…whatever Americans called people who stole fourteen-year-old girls from the street and then Disapparated after trying to make the boy who was with her forget the entire escapade but not having the power or acumen to execute the spell properly…

Justin wanted no more of it. He climbed under the covers and hoped he'd wake up to find this was all a dream.

And much as he didn't want to admit it, he wished to feel that blond girl's hand in his once more. It felt so…_right_. Like it belonged there. Which was silly, because he didn't even know her actual name. Just the ones she had given out. Nicole…the other name of her friend, what was it? Miranda. An L-name, an M-name, an N-name. So hers probably started with a letter around there. Was it Katherine? He'd love it if it were. Justin and Katherine…such sweet sounds.

But he'd never see her again. She was American, and part of his dream. The former was definite, the latter something he had to convince himself was true. But it had to be. There was no way he had actually met such an angel as that, even if she was a confused angel.


End file.
